You know it by many names—cabin fever, winter blues, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The winter months, with their decreased sunlight and sometimes inhospitable weather, can trigger bouts of lethargy and depression.
Add to the mix the frantic pace of holiday preparations and the intense desire to make this year's celebration "perfect," and you wind up with conditions that amplify what might ordinarily be only mild feelings of loneliness, grief, and depression in many people.
We recommend that you seek medical help immediately if you experience profound feelings of depression, but for a mild case of "the winter blahs," The Crossings offers many natural remedies to soothe frazzled nerves and help you regain your equilibrium.
"Human touch is very powerful," says Karen Torres, lead aesthetician and registered massage therapist at The Crossings' Wellness Spa. "Even a quick hug or a hand squeeze has physiological and emotional benefits." Massage creates a sense of belonging, improves circulation, helps flush toxins from your system, and even has the potential to lower blood pressure and change your body chemistry.
Treatments that combine energy work and massage are even better for soothing holiday stress, says Torres, because they deliver a complete sensory experience. A Chakra Cleansing and Aromatherapy Massage, for example, includes guided meditation, the scent of essential oils, and therapeutic touch. Further, when you inhale the oils' aromas, you are also practicing breath work by breathing deeply, regularly, and intentionally—enhancing your ability to relax.
Aromatherapy heightens the massage experience
Facials, she adds, are perfect for those who are uncomfortable with body work. "People don't realize how much tension they hold in their face."
The Wellness Spa therapists work to create a sense of peace and well-being in each client. "When people have that sense of peace, they project it in a 'pay-it-forward' fashion," says Torres. "And that's what the holiday season is all about."
Nobody ever says, "Gee, I wish I hadn't exercised today." Movement, within safe and sensible limits, lifts the spirit and invigorates the body. Most of us know this, even when we feel welded to the couch. "'Depressed' literally means 'not moving,'" explains corporate and community consultant Kenya Masala. "Movement jolts you out of a sense of stagnation and allows you to become inhabited rather than inhibited. Movement helps you fully embrace the experience of being alive."
Kenya Masala: "Become inhabited rather than inhibited"
Masla and his wife and business partner Gabriela Masala incorporate dance, drumming, and a variety of other dynamic activities into their highly successful personal and professional development programs. They combine movement and music to facilitate full engagement with one's moment-to-moment life experience.
Let your spirit soar on our trapeze
Ready to get moving right now? Kenya and Gabriela Masala will be at The Crossings from December 28–30 to lead Revitalize and Come Alive for 2008, an innovative weekend of drumming, dancing, and more. You'll start the new year with renewed vision and energy.
Other upcoming health-related workshops include:
Life coach Marty Dillingham, who provides wellness coaching at The Crossings, identifies overstimulation as a contributor to anxiety and depression, noting that many people today are so used to the constant distractions of our environment that they are uncomfortable with sitting in stillness. "We are living in a model of doing rather than being," she notes, "and in that model we can never be fast enough, efficient enough, productive enough. We feel a sense of failure, a sense of unworthiness."
Marty Dillingham: "Healthy introspection is a powerful healing tool"
One strategy Dillingham recommends to her clients is free-form writing. Grab a pen and a piece of scratch paper and write whatever comes into your mind. Never stop moving the pen; if you get stumped and don't know what to say, just write "I don't know what to say" and move on. Don't read over your work or correct your writing. Trust your first impulse. This exercise unclutters the mind, releases negative energy, and brings forward deeper issues—and sometimes great inspiration.
Part of managing seasonal depression is recognizing it as temporary, part of the life cycle. "We look at 'winter blues' as a negative thing," Dillingham reflects, "but really it's a gift we are given. It's an opportunity to reflect and embrace quietness. The Crossings is a safe and nurturing place to be uncomfortable with yourself. We can provide the tools and support to help you 'be' in the moment, even when that moment is not a pleasant one. When we allow ourselves to be in those moments, that's when true growth occurs."